Sarcoma Awareness Month: Would you know?

“I had a lump on my leg for three months before I got it looked at – if it was on my breast I would have been to the GP the next day – I never thought it could be cancer”

This July is Sarcoma awareness month. Many people only know about this rare form of cancer if they know someone with a diagnosis or have been diagnosed themselves. However, the importance of knowing what to look out for is so important as early diagnosis is the key to effective treatment and management.

In 2019 in the UK, approximately 1,100 people a day were diagnosed with cancer. Sarcoma is rare, with only 15 people, or 1.5% of these being a sarcoma diagnosis. That’s about 5,300 people a year.

The Musculoskeletal Oncology Service at The Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital in Gobowen, Oswestry, is one of the lesser-known specialist services that the hospital offers. It provides service for the diagnosis, surgical treatment, rehabilitation and surveillance of patients with musculoskeletal tumours. Since 2005 it has been one of only five centres that are specially commissioned by NHS England for the management for primary bone tumours. As a specialist centre, patients travel to the unit from as far North as Preston and the Isle of Man, Manchester, North Wales and down to Hereford. Receiving approximately 1600 new referrals a year and that number is increasing.

A cancer diagnosis can devastate plans, causing disruption and devastation to lives and generally cause chaos. It is the job of the team here – which consists of Consultant Surgeons and Doctors,

Physiotherapists, Healthcare Assistants, Booking Teams, Tracking Teams, Specialist Nurses, Radiology Teams, Ancillary Staff and Histopathology Labs to try and enable the patients pathway is an efficient, faultless and supported one.

When that cancer diagnosis is rare, there is even more uncertainty. By working closely with their partners Macmillan Cancer Support and more specialist charities, Sarcoma UK and The Bone Cancer Research Trust, they provide patients with information and support.

There are around 100 different subtypes of sarcoma. The two main types of are soft tissue sarcoma and bone sarcoma. A primary bone sarcoma can affect any bone in the body and at any age but most commonly affects children, teenagers, young adults and elderly people. There are approximately 560 new cases of primary bone cancer each year in the UK and symptoms can be similar to sports injuries, growing pains, or common conditions such as arthritis. So, it’s important to know that if the picture doesn’t fit, then to get it checked out by your GP. Symptoms can include:

• Bone pain; it can be constant (there all the time) or intermittent (comes and goes). Painkillers might not help and it can often be worse at night.

• A lump or swelling might be seen or felt if the tumour is near the surface of the body. In other places (e.g., the pelvis) a lump or swelling will not be visible.

• Problems with mobility such as stiff joints or reduced movement.

Spreading the word

• Easy bruising.

• Tiredness, sweats/fever, weight loss, or fractures. These symptoms are less common but are still experienced by some patients.

Soft tissue sarcomas commonly affect the arms, legs and torso, as well as more rarely internal organs. If you have a lump which is growing, changing, or bigger than a golf ball, it is important to get this assessed by a health professional. It is also important to remember most lumps and pains are not sarcomas. A consultation and referral through our two weeks wait service can often quickly deescalate concern.

If you would like further information or you would like to support vital fundraising into this under researched area, please head to any of the following: www.sarcoma.org.uk/get-involved/ or https://www.bcrt.org.uk/get-involved/ or https://www.macmillan.org.uk/ cancer-information-and-support